SBI Clerk 2018 Previous Year Question Paper

Passage

On a hot afternoon, the difference between a street lined with trees and one without can be felt through the soles of one's shoes. Tarred roads and concrete walls absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly at night, so bare neighbourhoods stay warm long after sunset. Shade from a large tree, together with the moisture its leaves give off, can make the ground beneath it noticeably cooler.

City planners have begun to treat trees as part of a city's infrastructure rather than as decoration. Some municipalities now map the hottest wards using satellite images and plant first where shade is scarcest, which is often where the poorest residents live.

Planting, however, is the easy part. Young trees need watering for several years, protection from cattle and space for roots under pavements. Many saplings planted with ceremony die within a year because nobody was made responsible for them afterwards.

1. Why do neighbourhoods without trees stay warm after sunset?

   1. They receive more sunlight at night
   2. Roads and walls absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night
   3. Trees produce heat at night
   4. Satellites raise the temperature
   5. Cattle crowd the streets
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Roads and walls absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night)

   The passage says tarred roads and concrete walls 'absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly at night'.

2. How do some municipalities decide where to plant trees first?

   1. Where residents pay the most tax
   2. Along the widest roads
   3. In the hottest wards with the least shade, found using satellite images
   4. Near government offices
   5. Wherever cattle are kept away
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (In the hottest wards with the least shade, found using satellite images)

   They 'map the hottest wards using satellite images and plant first where shade is scarcest'.

3. According to the passage, why do many saplings die within a year?

   1. They are planted in the wrong season
   2. Nobody is made responsible for looking after them
   3. They are cut down for timber
   4. Satellite mapping is inaccurate
   5. They are planted too far apart
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: B (Nobody is made responsible for looking after them)

   The last sentence says they die 'because nobody was made responsible for them afterwards'.

Cloze test

The library has decided to (1) ______ its opening hours during the examination season, so that students can study (2) ______ late in the evening.

4. Choose the word that fits blank (1).

   1. extend
   2. reduce
   3. cancel
   4. suspend
   5. shorten
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (extend)

   Students studying late requires longer hours, so the library will 'extend' them.

5. Choose the word that fits blank (2).

   1. until
   2. since
   3. from
   4. during
   5. by
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (until)

   'Study until late in the evening' is the idiomatic phrase for continuing up to a time.

Grammar and para jumble

6. Find the part with an error: The furniture / in these rooms / are very old / and needs repair.

   1. (A) The furniture
   2. (B) in these rooms
   3. (C) are very old
   4. (D) and needs repair.
   5. (E) No error
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C ((C) are very old)

   'Furniture' is an uncountable (singular) noun: 'is very old', which also matches 'needs'.

7. Choose the correct replacement for the bracketed part: [Hardly I had reached] the station when the train left.

   1. Hardly had I reached
   2. Hardly I reached
   3. Hardly did I reached
   4. Hardly I have reached
   5. No replacement required
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (Hardly had I reached)

   A sentence beginning with 'Hardly' needs inversion: 'Hardly had I reached the station when ...'.

8. Arrange the sentences in a logical order. P. He kept the receipts in a folder, sorted by month. Q. Mr Sen wanted to claim a tax deduction for his medical expenses. R. At the end of the year, filing the claim took him only ten minutes. S. So he asked the pharmacy for a receipt every time he bought medicines.

   1. QSPR
   2. QPSR
   3. SQPR
   4. QSRP
   5. PQSR
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: A (QSPR)

   Q gives the aim, S the action ('So ...'), P how he stored the receipts, and R the result.

Simplification

9. 48% of 650 + 24 × 15 = ?

   1. 652
   2. 662
   3. 672
   4. 682
   5. 692
   Answer and explanation

   Answer: C (672)

   48% of 650 = 312; 24 × 15 = 360; 312 + 360 = 672.

10. ∛1728 × 9 + 17 = ?

    1. 115
    2. 120
    3. 125
    4. 130
    5. 135
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (125)

    ∛1728 = 12; 12 × 9 = 108; 108 + 17 = 125.

11. 5.6 × 25 − 3/4 of 96 = ?

    1. 62
    2. 64
    3. 66
    4. 68
    5. 70
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: D (68)

    5.6 × 25 = 140; 3/4 of 96 = 72; 140 − 72 = 68.

Quadratic equation and series

12. I. x² − 14x + 48 = 0 II. y² − 16y + 63 = 0 Choose the correct relationship.

    1. x > y
    2. x < y
    3. x ≥ y
    4. x ≤ y
    5. x = y or the relationship cannot be established
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: E (x = y or the relationship cannot be established)

    x = 6 or 8; y = 7 or 9. x = 6 is less than y = 7 but x = 8 is greater than y = 7, so no fixed relationship can be established.

13. 1, 3, 10, 41, 206, ?

    1. 1030
    2. 1036
    3. 1237
    4. 1242
    5. 1442
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (1237)

    ×2+1, ×3+1, ×4+1, ×5+1, ×6+1: 206 × 6 + 1 = 1237.

Data interpretation (bar graph data)

Mobile phones (in thousands) manufactured and sold by a company in the four quarters of a year:

14. In which quarter was the number of unsold phones (manufactured − sold) the highest?

    1. Q1
    2. Q2
    3. Q3
    4. Q4
    5. Q2 and Q4 equally
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Q3)

    Unsold: Q1 20, Q2 10, Q3 26, Q4 10 (thousand). Q3 is highest.

15. Total phones sold in the year were what percent of the total manufactured?

    1. 85%
    2. 88%
    3. 90%
    4. 92%
    5. 95%
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (90%)

    Sold = 594 thousand; manufactured = 660 thousand; 594 ÷ 660 × 100 = 90%.

Arithmetic

16. What amount will ₹15,000 become after 2 years at 10% per annum compound interest, compounded annually?

    1. ₹18,000
    2. ₹18,150
    3. ₹18,300
    4. ₹18,450
    5. ₹18,600
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (₹18,150)

    15,000 × 1.1 × 1.1 = ₹18,150.

17. Two persons start at the same time from two points 180 km apart and travel towards each other at 40 km/h and 50 km/h. After how many hours will they meet?

    1. 1.5
    2. 2
    3. 2.5
    4. 3
    5. 3.5
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (2)

    Relative speed = 90 km/h; time = 180 ÷ 90 = 2 hours.

18. ₹5,200 is divided among A, B and C in the ratio 1/2 : 1/3 : 1/4. What is C's share?

    1. ₹1,000
    2. ₹1,200
    3. ₹1,300
    4. ₹1,600
    5. ₹2,400
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (₹1,200)

    Multiply by 12: the ratio becomes 6 : 4 : 3. C's share = 5,200 × 3/13 = ₹1,200.

Puzzle

Five boxes P, Q, R, S and T are kept one above another (position 1 is the bottom, 5 the top). Each box is of a different colour: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White.

R is kept at the bottom. Q is kept immediately above S. Only one box is kept between T and S. The red box is kept immediately above T. P is not kept at the top. The white box is at the bottom. The yellow box is kept immediately below the green box.

19. What is the colour of box Q?

    1. Red
    2. Blue
    3. Green
    4. Yellow
    5. White
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Green)

    Stack from top: 5: Q (Green), 4: S (Yellow), 3: P (Red), 2: T (Blue), 1: R (White). R is at the bottom. Q is just above S and T is two places from S. If S = 2, then Q = 3, T = 4 and the red box (just above T) is at 5, which must be P, but P is not at the top. If S = 3, T would be 5 and nothing can be above it. So S = 4, Q = 5, T = 2, and the red box at 3 is P. R at the bottom is white. Yellow is immediately below green, so S is yellow and Q green, leaving blue for T.

20. Which box is red?

    1. P
    2. Q
    3. R
    4. S
    5. T
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (P)

    Stack from top: 5: Q (Green), 4: S (Yellow), 3: P (Red), 2: T (Blue), 1: R (White).

21. What is the colour of box T?

    1. Red
    2. Blue
    3. Green
    4. Yellow
    5. White
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Blue)

    Stack from top: 5: Q (Green), 4: S (Yellow), 3: P (Red), 2: T (Blue), 1: R (White).

Input-output

A word and number arrangement machine rearranges an input line step by step. In each step, the word that comes next in alphabetical order is placed at the left end, after the words already arranged, and the largest remaining number is placed at the right end, before the numbers already arranged; all other elements keep their order. A step in which nothing moves is not counted.

Input: 52 tea 17 bag 39 cup 84 jar

22. Which of the following is Step II?

    1. bag cup tea 17 39 jar 52 84
    2. bag cup 52 tea 17 39 jar 84
    3. bag cup jar tea 17 39 52 84
    4. bag 52 tea 17 39 cup jar 84
    5. cup bag tea 17 39 jar 52 84
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (bag cup tea 17 39 jar 52 84)

    Step I: bag 52 tea 17 39 cup jar 84. Step II: bag cup tea 17 39 jar 52 84 (cup moves after bag; 52 moves before 84).

23. How many steps are needed to complete the arrangement?

    1. Two
    2. Three
    3. Four
    4. Five
    5. Six
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: B (Three)

    Step III: bag cup jar tea 17 39 52 84. After this, 'tea' and '17' are already in place, so no further step is counted.

Alphanumeric-symbol series

Study the series: M 5 $ T 8 # A 3 R @ 7 K % 1 E & 9 W

24. How many symbols are immediately preceded by a number and immediately followed by a letter?

    1. None
    2. One
    3. Two
    4. Three
    5. Four
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (Two)

    5 $ T and 8 # A qualify; @ is preceded by R, % by K and & by E. Total two.

25. Which element is 3rd to the left of the 12th element from the left end?

    1. A
    2. 3
    3. R
    4. @
    5. 7
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (R)

    The 12th element from the left is K; three places to its left (7, @, R) is R.

Inequality and direction

26. Statement: A > B, B ≥ C, C = D, D < E Conclusions: I. A > D II. E > B

    1. Only conclusion I follows
    2. Only conclusion II follows
    3. Either I or II follows
    4. Neither I nor II follows
    5. Both I and II follow
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: A (Only conclusion I follows)

    A > B ≥ C = D gives A > D. E > D, but D ≤ B, so E and B cannot be compared: II does not follow.

27. Town Q is 12 km east of town P. Town R is 5 km north of Q. What is the shortest distance between P and R?

    1. 11 km
    2. 12 km
    3. 13 km
    4. 15 km
    5. 17 km
    Answer and explanation

    Answer: C (13 km)

    P, Q and R form a right angle at Q; PR = √(12² + 5²) = 13 km.